Played from an isometric camera angle, Army Men Advance utilizes pseudo 3D graphics built out of 2D sprites. The 17 levels included in the game are similar to those from the other Army Men games. You must navigate bathtubs, bedrooms, garages, and base installations containing everyday objects at twenty times their normal size. Comprised mostly of flatly colored objects, the environments are so barren that the screen is sometimes one solid color. With only a handful of different enemies included in the game, combat also becomes monotonous rather quickly. The relative lack of bosses is also a point of contention. The explosions look passable in a cartoon sort of way but the rest of the graphics look like they could have been done on the Game Boy Color.
The sound included in Army Men Advance includes voice samples for when your character takes damage or for when the enemies die. But they are repeated constantly and quickly lose their allure. The sounds for guns and explosions are nothing special and could have been included as stock sound effects in the GBA development kit. The music consists of the traditional military fare with plenty of snare drums and flutes. The lead track sounds like a rip-off of the Hogan's Heroes theme.
Army Men Advance perpetuates the franchise's legacy of mediocrity. Its graphics are at the bottom of the Game Boy Advance totem pole, none of the hardware's interesting features like multiplayer are utilized, and the one-player mode can be finished in one day. Kids will likely enjoy its simplicity but will find it difficult to complete several of the game's goals due to the irritating hit detection and cramped areas. With so many quality games available for the launch of the GBA, Army Men Advance should be near the bottom of your list.
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